How to avoid holiday traffic jams on Bangkok-Northeast routes

Mitraphap road, the main gateway to 20 Northeast provinces, will be jammed with vehicles driving north, warned Police Bureau 3 Commissioner Lt Gen Somprasong Yenthuam.

The bureau offered the following alternative routes to beat the jams:

• – From Bangkok, take Phaholyothin Road to Saraburi and turn right at the Phu Kae intersection onto Phu Kae-Lomsak road, then turn right turn at the Muang Khom Intersection onto highway 2256 to Nakhon Ratchasima. At the Mung Khom Intersection, turn left onto highway 205 and proceed to highway 201 to reach Nakhon Ratchasima.
• - Take highway 304 (Bangkok-Chachoengsao) to Phanom Sarakham, Kabin Buri, Wang Namkhiew, and Pak Thongchai to reach either Nakhon Ratchasima or Buri Ram.
• - Drive from Bangkok to Sa Kaew, then proceed to Aranyaprathet, Ta Phraya, None Din Daeng, and Laharn Sai to reach Buri Ram.

Somprasong said 16,000 policemen will be deployed to direct traffic and assist motorists in the lower Northeast provinces of Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani during the New Year holiday.

Police and other agencies including local rescue foundations will staff checkpoints to help motorists during the holidays, Somprasong said.